Appliances I recommend having;
- First of all, invest in a good tumble dryer! A serious lifesaver, I tend to run out of space on the airer pretty quickly so it's always good to chuck a load of bits in there plus it it will be dry in under a few hours, bonus! Most of them also come with a great guarantee too, and for just an extra £9 you can have someone dispose of and recycle it when the time comes, excellent! Remember to choose the right tumble dryer for your household!
- Cook a big batch of food and store it in the freezer..this works for both you & baby, this will probably save you some money too as we're all guilty of being 'too tired' to cook so we reach for the take-away menu's. Just take it out the freezer and bang a healthy homemade meal :) This is especially good for those first few weeks with a new baby as you probably won't have much time to slave away in the kitchen..
- Child safety in the kitchen - now that Abbie is starting to find out about the wonderful world of moving around, it's time to child proof the house, starting with the kitchen..I didn't realize there were so many things babies could get their hands into..Oven door locks (very important, even when it's not being used, they can easily catch their little fingers in it. Fridge and freezer locks, other appliance latches and socket blockers, this protects them from putting their fingers in again or anything else for that matter!
- Child safe cleaning products, of course you want to keep a clean house when you have a baby (although sometimes you just havent got the energy), I was always worried about the toxins and strong smells of certain kitchen cleaning bits affecting Abbie, but there are things you can use that can still give your kitchen the sparkles without the strong aromas..Castile soap is great for cleaning your floors, mix it with a little vegetable oil (i know i know what?) it works wonders! Vinegar, yep vinegar, no don't worry, you won't make your house smell like a chip shop! It makes everything shiny and is great at removing harsh stains left on pots and pans. Other bits include, lemon, bicarbonate of soda, salt, white wine & toothpaste!
- Storage - It's so easy to end up with clutter i the kitchen, sure you can just chuck things in drawers out of sight out of mind right? Hmmm, maybe not..here are a few selections of cute and practical storage ideas to brighten up your kitchen..